Hand operated calculating device



Feb. 27, 1962 A. VAN VEEN 3,022,942

HAND OPERATED CALCULATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 25. 1956 2 Sheets-Sfieet 1-III/II lNVEN'TOR ANTON VANVEEN 5 AT TO FQ-NEY Feb. 27, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25. 1956 FIC5-3 INVENTOR ANTON VANVEIEINATTORNEY States This invention relates to calculating machines and moreparticularly to a hand-operated machine that may be used to add andsubtract by units and by multiples of units such as tens, hundreds,thousands, and also to perform some multiplying and dividing operations.

- A primary object of the present invention is to incorporate in asimple hand-operated machine of the aboveidentified type, mechanismenabling units, tens, hundreds, etc., to be added or subtracted to orfrom a previous total so that the net result of a number of additionsand subtractions may be obtained, the result being directly readable.

Also it is an object of the invention to provide in a simplehand-operated device, means to perform simple multiplying by successiveadditions.

- A feature enabling the above objects to be accomplished is thatrotatable digit wheels are mounted in axial alignment and are actuatedin one direction of rotation to add and actuated in the oppositedirection to subtract, separate operating levers being provided for eachdigit wheel, one set of levers being used for adding and the other setof levers being used for subtracting.

. Another feature of importance of the invention is that the same leversused for adding are usable for successive additions to accomplishmultiplication operations.

Another feature of importance is that a metal cover is provided toenclose the supporting frame and operating mechanism which may beresiliently snapped into its operative position, the corners of thecover being bent inwardly-about the body member to prevent lateralmovement of the cover, and openings being provided in the upper portionof the cover through which actuating levers for the digit wheels mayextend and through which the digits on the wheels may be viewed.

Another feature of importance enabling the above mentioned functions tobe accomplished is that each of the digit wheels is provided with one ormore series of circumferentially spaced notches or grooves on itsperiphery, the single series being used for rotating the wheels inopposite directions, and when two series of grooves are used, theseseries of grooves preferably are positioned on opposite sides of theannular series of digit numerals, and each series rotates the wheels inone direction only.

Another object-of importance of the invention is to provide locking ordetent means for the digit w eels to accurately locate andretain thedigit wheels in their indexed positions and prevent their inadvertentrotation, resiliently mounted levers being provided for this purposewhich engage angular notches provided therefor in the peripheries of thedigit wheels.

And finally it is an object of the invention to provide an improved formof operating lever mechanism for indexing the individual digit wheels byunits, tens, etc., the result of any series of operations being directlyindicated by the final position of the digit wheels.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may include thefeatures of construction and operation set forth in the followingdrawings.

In the accompanying drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of thisspecification, I have shown the invention embodied in a hand-operateddesk type calculating machine but it will be understood that theinvention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawings are not to beconstrued as defining or limiting the scope of atent ice the invention,the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for thatpurpose.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an outside perspective view of a complete device made inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the counter shown in FIG. 1,the section being taken on the plane of line 2-2 in FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the counter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outsidecover having been removed;

PEG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 2,showing the parts on one side only of the digit wheels in otheroperative positions;

FIG. 5 is a detached sectional view of a modified form of digit wheelthe section being taken on line 5-5 of Pro. 6;

FIG. 6 is a central section of the wheel shown in FIG. 5, and taken onthe plane of line 6-6, and

FIG. 7 is a detail of the cover retaining means.

In the above mentioned drawings, there has been shown but one embodimentof the invention, and a modified form of digit wheel, which are nowdeemed preferable, but it is to be understood that other changes andmodications may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

This application includes some of the mechanism shown in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 461,209, filed October 8, 1954, now Patent No.2,818,214, issued Dec. 31, 1957.

Briefly, and in its broadest aspect, the invention may include thefollowing principal par-ts: first, a base or frame over which a covermay be positioned; second, a plurality of digit wheels or disks mountedfor rotation on a single transverse horizontal shaft supported in thebase or frame, the digits on their periphery being observable throughopenings in the cover; third, indexing notches formed about theperiphery of each digit wheel preferably on either side of the digits;fourth, an annular series of detent notches formed on the periphery ofthe digit wheels; fifth, operating levers including a pivotally mountedoscillating frame on one side of the wheel supporting shaft for rotatingthe digit wheels in one direction for adding operations; sixth,operating levers including a pivotally mounted oscillating frame on theopposite side of the wheel supporting shaft for rotating the digitwheels in the opposite direction for subtracting operations; andseventh, resiliently pressed levers engaging the detent notches in thedigit wheels to resiliently retain said digit wheels in their indexedposition.

Referring more in detail to the figures of the drawings, it will be seenthat the device includes a base or body member 10 having a horizontaltransverse shaft 12 extending from side to side on which are rotatablymounted several digit Wheels 14 in close alignment. The base or frame 19may have small pads 11 of rubber or other resilient material secured tothe corners thereof for supporting the base. The cover 13 as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 is of sheet metal which may be snapped in place. Asindicated in FIG. 7, the corners of the inwardly bent edges of the cover13 are slightly crimped to prevent lateral movement of the cover asshown at 19. The cover 13 also is provided with a series of openings 15through which the digits may be viewed. Also there are two similarseries of openings 17 through which the actuating levers for the digitwheel operating mechanism operates.

In the present embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawingsfour of these wheels 14 are provided so that operations resulting intotals up to 9,999 may be made. Each wheel 14 has an annular series ofdigits 16 from 0 to 9 equaily spaced apart and extending about itsperiphery. On each side of the series of'digits 16 in the seasonsembodiment of the invention shown in FiGS. l to are indexing notches 18and 20, there being ten of these notches il'l eacn series on theperiphery of the wheels 14. One notch in each series r'lti and an issubstarmany deeper than the others to effect indexing of ad acent digitWheels in the usual manner. On one side of eacn wheel 14 also is anannular series of angular detent notches 22. lreterably and as shown inthe drawings, the digit wheels 14 are moulded or otherwise formed 111 asingle piece including the series of notches and central operung formingtheir bearing on the central shaft 12.

On the right side of digit wheel shaft 12 as seen in FIG. 2, hereinafterreferred to as the addition side, is a frame 24 p-ivotally mounted foroscillation thereon and on which are mounted individual levers 26 eachhaving a projection 28 adapted to enter the notches of a digit wheel 14.Each of the projections 28 on the levers 26 is of equal length and eachis designed to enter the indexing notches of the digit wheel directlyadjacent its lever 26. Stop means are provided for limiting the swingingmovement of the frames 24. These means comprise a transverse horizontalshaft 38 which bears against abutments 32 on the frame 24 when the frameis moved to either of its extreme positions. Each of the individualwheel engaging levers 26 is pivotally mounted in the frame 24 on a shaft34 extending parallelly with the shaft 12 on which the digit wheels 14are mounted. By manually depressing an actuating lever 36 one of theindividual levers 26 is moved first to engage its projection 28 with oneof the notches 18 on its digit wheel 14. Further downward movement ofthe actuating lever 36 serves to oscillate the frame 24 with the levers26 and index the particular digit wheel 14 engaged by the projection 28.The distance rotated or indexed by the wheel 14 for each downwardmovement or" an actuating lever 36 is equal to the spacing between thesuccessive digits on the wheel. The frame 24 is retained resiliently inits upper or inoperative position by a coiled spring 38 to be describedmore in detail presently and the frame 24 returns to this inoperativeposition as soon as the actuating lever 36 is released.

The individual levers 26 are resiliently retained in their upperpositions by separate springs 39 as shown in FIG. 2. The intermediateportion of each spring 39 is wrapped around the shaft 34 with its endsbearing against surfaces of the frame 24 and levers 26.

Each of the individual wheel engaging levers 26 carried by the frame 24has an upper edge 27 extending slightly above the upper edge of theframe. The first movement of these levers 26 by their actuating levers36 therefore is clockwise about the axis of shaft 34 while the frame 24remains in its inoperative position. This movement of the lever 26engages its projection 28 with one of the notches 18 of its digit wheel14. Further movement of the actuating lever 36 swings the individuallever 26 with the frame 24 downward about the axis of the shaft 12 onwhich the digit wheels 14 are mounted. This motion of the-frame 24 withthe projection 28 on the individual lever 26 maintained in contact withone of the notches 18 serves to index the digit wheel 14 one space. Whenpressure is released from the actuating lever 36 the projection 28 isfirst retracted from the notch 18 by spring 39 and the frame 24 thenswings upward to its inoperative position by the pressure of spring 38as shown in FIG. 2.

It will be noted that the distance of the upper edge 27 on theindividual lever 26 is sufficiently far above the edge 25 of the surfaceof the frame 24 that the lever 26 can oscillate far enough beforemovement of the frame begins for the projection 28 to fully enter thedeep notch of its wheel if the deep notch is in position to be soentered.

Also formed on the individual operating levers 26, except for the leverfor the wheel 14 for the highest order of digits, is a laterallyextending arm or extension 40.

a As shown in FIG. 3, limited oscillating movement of one lever 26 ispermitted prior to contact of the lateral extension 48 with the ad acentlever 26 for the next higher order. When one of the extensions 28 entersone of the shallow notches of its index wheel, lateral extension doesnot contact and oscillate its underlying lever 26. indexing only of theparticular wheel engaged by the lever 26 depressed by its actuatinglever 36 therefore takes place. The adjacent wheel 14 will not beindexed unless the lever 26 is oscillated at least partially into thedeep notch of its index wheel. As the operation of indexing by means ofindividual levers 2 6 having overlapping lateral extensions 48 isdescribed and Claimed in my co-pending application, a brief descriptiononly is thought to be necessary. It will be noted that each projection28 on the levers 26 is of equal length. Also the spacing between thesurface of the levers 2.6 and overlapping extension of an adjacent lever26 is such that oscillation of a lever 26 does not oscillate an adjacentlever 26 unless the projection 28 on the first lever 26 enters a deepnotch. This movement of a projection 28 into a deep notch engages thelateral extension 40 of its lever 26 with its adjacent lever 26 andcauses its lever 26 to move its projection 28 into its index notchengaging position.

When it is desired to add one to a previous total, the units actuatinglever 36 is depressed which engages projection 28 of its operating lever26 with a notch 18 in the units digit wheels. If the projection 28enters one of the shallow notches the only indexing movement is that ofthe units wheel 14 and does not touch projection 40 on the lever 26adjacent thereto.

If, however, the "units lever projection 28 enters the deep notch in itswheel 14, the lever 28 is oscillated through a greater angle and farenough for its lateral projection 40 to engage and oscillate the lever28 for the digit wheel of the next higher order. Both units and tenswheel, therefore, will be indexed simultaneously. If the units and tenslever projections simultaneously enter their deep notches but thehundreds" lever projection only enters a shallow notch and indexes itsWheel, the units, tens" and hundreds wheels will then also besimultaneously indexed.

The description so far has been limited to the indexing frame 24 andoperating levers 26 on the addition side of the digit wheels 14. On thisside rotations in one direction only are made while on the opposite orsubtraction side of the digit wheels 14 operations are made which callfor rotation of the wheels in the opposite direction. By depressing theactuating levers 36 on the opposite or subtraction side of the frame orbase the digit wheels are rotated in the opposite direction from therotation obtained by depressing an actuating lever on the side firstreferred to.

Normally the device will be used primarily for adding and subtracting.Additions are made by rotating the wheels in one direction whilerotations in the opposite direction will effect subtractions.Multiplications, however, may be effected by repeated operation of thelevers 26 in the direction of rotation used for additions.

The frame 24 and its operating levers 26 on the subtraction side forrotating the wheels in the opposite direction for subtractions aresimilar to those for effecting additions. However, the lateralextensions 40 on the lever 26 for subtraction side extend from theopposite side of the levers so that the extensions 40 for the levers 26for both directions of rotation extend to overlap and actuate the wheel14 for the next higher order of digits when a projection 28 enters oneof the deep notches.

The indexing operation for subtraction operations on this side of frame24 is similar to that for additions and multiplications on the otherside of the frame as described above. When one of the projections 28enters a deep notch in its wheel the adjacent wheel 14 for the nexthigher order of digits is also indexed. Calculations involving severalsuccessive operations can be carried out, the final result beingindicated when the final operation has been made.

By reference to FIG. 4 which shows a section through the addition sideof the device it will be seen that the actuating levers 36 on thesubtracting side of the frame 24 are resiliently retained in their upperpositions by springs 42 the intermediate portion of which extend aroundthe shafts 44- on which the levers 36 are pivotally mounted. One of theends of each of these springs 42 bears against an under surface of thelever 36. The other or lower ends of these springs 42 for the series oflevers 26 on the opposite side of the wheels 14 bear against atransversely extending shaft 46 as shown in FIG. 2 which also serves tolimit the movement upward of the actuating lever 36 toward itsinoperative position. The lower ends of the springs 42 for the actuatinglevers 36 on the addition side of the digit wheels 14 rest against theouter ends of detent levers 48 for the wheels 14. Each of these levers48, one for each digit wheel, is pivoted on a horizontal transverselyextending shaft 50 and their inner ends engage within the detent notches22 in the peripheries of the wheels 14. These levers have angular orwedge shaped ends 49 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 restraining but notpreventing rotation of the wheels 14 in either direction. Indexingmovement of a wheel 14 forces its detent lever 48 out of engagement fromits notch against the pressure of the actuating lever spring 42.Movement downward of the actuating lever 36 to index a wheel 14,on theaddition side of the frame 24 increases the pressure of the spring 42 onthe detent lever 48. A shaft 51 on the addition side of the wheels 14corresponding to shaft 46 on the subtraction side serves to limit theupper position of the actuating levers 36.

The digit wheels 14 described above have separate annular series ofindexing notches 18 and 20 respectively for rotations in oppositedirections. Each of these Series of notches on each digit wheel has butone notch of greater depth. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modified form of wheel14 which has one series only of notches. This series, however, has twodeep notches 52 and 54, one of the deep notches being used only forrotation of the wheel in one direction and the other only for rotationin the opposite direction. This series of notches includes also eightshallow grooves 56. A series of these wheels 14 such as shown in FIGS. 5and 6 may be substituted for those shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. It is onlyessential that the projections 28 on the operating levers 26 forindexing each wheel in opposite direction engage the series of indexingnotches. It will be noted that the notches 52 and 54 have their contoursreversed, there being an angle formed on one side of each of thenotches. One of the deep notches 52 or 54 permits a projection 28 tofreely enter the full depth of the notch to rotate the wheel 14 in onedirection. The lever 26 on the opposite side of the wheel 14 enters theother of the deep notches 52 or 54 to index the wheel in the oppositedirection.

When a projection 28 enters one of the shallow notches 56 the indexingof the particular wheel 12 only is indexed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hand calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of aligned digit wheels rotatably mounted therein, said wheelshaving two series of indexing notches on their peripheries, one notch ofeach series being of greater depth than the others, a series of levershaving members engaging one of said series of said notches forindividually rotating said digit wheels in one direction, and a secondseries of levers having members engaging said second series of saidnotches for rotating said digit wheels in the opposite direction,whereby additions and subtractions may be made with respect to previoustotals and a final total directly indicated.

2. A hand calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of digit wheels rotatably mounted therein, said wheels havingannular series of indexing notches on each side 'of their peripheries, aseries of levers having members engaging one of said series of saidnotches for individually rotating said digit wheels in one direction,and a second series of levers having members engaging the second of saidseries of notches for rotating said digit wheels in the oppositedirection, whereby additions and subtractions of previous totals may bemade and a final total directly indicated.

v 3. A hand calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of digit wheels rotatably mounted therein, said wheels havingannular series of indexing notches on each side of their peripheries,one notch of the series on each wheel being of greater depth than theothers, a series of levers having members engaging said notches forindividually rotating said wheels in one direction, and a second seriesof levers having members engaging said series of notches for rotatingsaid digit wheels in the opposite direction, whereby additions andsubtractions of previous totals may be made and a final total indicated.

4. A hand calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of digit wheels rotatably mounted therein, said wheels havingtwo annular series of indexing notches on their peripheries, a series oflevers having members engaging one series of said notches forindividually indexing said digit wheels in one direction, and a secondseries of levers having members engaging the second series of notchesfor rotating said digit wheels in the opposite direction, wherebyadditions and subtractions of previous totals may be made and a finaltotal indicated.

5. In a hand calculating device for adding and subtracting operations, aplurality of rotatably mounted digit wheels therein, two series ofindexing notches on each of said wheels, a series of levers severallyengaging one series of notches on individual wheels to step by stepindex said wheels in one direction, and a series of levers severallyengaging the other series of notches on said wheels to step by stepindex said wheels in the opposite direction, whereby additions andsubtractions of previous totals may be made.

6. A hand calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of rotatably mounted digit wheels therein, two annular seriesof indexing notches on each of said wheels, an annular series of detentnotches on said wheels, a series of levers operatively engaging oneseries of indexing notches to rotate said wheels in one direction,another series of levers operatively engaging the other series ofindexing notches to rotate said wheels in the opposite direction, andspring pressed levers engaging said detent notches in said wheels toresiliently retain said digit wheels in their successively indexedpositions.

7. A hand calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of rotatably mounted digit wheels therein, two series ofindexing notches on said wheels, an annular series of detent notches onsaid wheels, two series of levers operatively engaging said indexingnotches to rotate said wheels in opposite directions respectively, dctent levers engaging said detent notches to resiliently retain saiddigit wheels in their successively indexed positions, and springs havingone of their ends bearing against the ends of said detent levers, theopposite end of said spring bearing against an under surface of saidoperating lever, whereby depressing an operating lever will increase thepressure of said springs.

8. A multiple calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of aligned digit wheels mounted therein, oscillating frameswithin said base on each side and adjacent said wheels, individuallevers on said frames movable to engage said digit wheels, lateralextensions on each of said levers overlapping but slightly spaced fromits adjacent lever, and an individual hand-operated lever foroscillating each wheel engaging lever and said frame.

9. A multiple calculating device comprising in combination, a base, aplurality of aligned digit wheels mounted 3,022,962 7 therein,oscillating frames within said base on each side of adjacent saidwheels, individual levers on each of said frames movable to engage saiddigit wheels, said levers having a surface above the upper edge of saidoscillat- 335374 Maxey f ing frame and having lateral extensionsoverlapping an 5 1809386 Von .Bechtolshelm adjacent lever, andhand-operated levers individually engaging said wheel engaging levers,whereby depressing 2 3; i g 1951 one of said hand-operated levers firstoscillates a wheel 2818214 i Veen engaging lever and continued downwardmovement osciln lates said frame with the lever in wheel engaging posi-10 FOREIGN PATENTS tion. 680,580 Great Britain Oct. 8,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

